Omnia El Omrani, Youth Envoy for the COP27

"As we explore today the ways to strengthen the role of the health community, I would like to make two specific asks. First, decisions around climate change and health remain siloed, and yet young healthcare professionals have the capacity, the vision, and the capabilities of bringing in a joint vision between climate change and health, translating what we know with what we can do. And that is why my call is at the Ministries of Health who are present here today to think about the reorientation of their institutionalized structures, to include young healthcare professionals, not as add-ons, but as natural stakeholders, as key partners that can accelerate action on initiatives such as the Attach, as well as integrated the voices of the most impacted communities at the center. Young people are a diverse constituency with uniquely critical perspectives that should not be marginalized. My second call to action is as we now take stock of the implementation of the Paris Agreement for the very first time in history at COP28 under UAE's leadership, it is important that health and intergenerational equity is reflected in the outcome. We also have the first ever health day, and we want to see the outcomes of the health day reflected in the COP outcome decision. And this recognition will play an integral role in ensuring the inclusivity, transparency, and the accountability that young people want to see from their governments so that they are delivering for and with young people. And this entails consulting youth-led organizations and groups in the lead up to COP, as well as understanding their emerging needs, the deep interconnections between climate change and the health of young people, which can be supported by WHO, the COP 28 presidency, as well as the Youth Climate Champion..."